The present invention relates to a receptacle assembly including a housing shell, a case that is pivotally mounted in the shell to be movable between an open position and a closed position, a spring biasing the case to the open position and a latching mechanism for latching the case in the closed position, the latching mechanism releasing the case from the closed position under the action of a push onto the case against the force of the spring moving the case to a pushed position.
Examples of such a case are ashtrays, coin holders and glove compartments in vehicles. In order to move the case out of the open position to the closed position, an upper edge of the case is pushed until the closed position has been reached. A latch mechanism ensures that the case is maintained in the closed position. In order to move to the open position, the case is pushed again, as a result of which it is unlatched and moved automatically to the open position under the action of the spring.
In order to prevent accidental unlatching of the case with subsequent movement into the open position, under the action of inertial forces, for example, it is known from DE 44 27 768 C1 to mount a spring-stressed weight so that it can be slid onto a locking lever that interacts with the latching mechanism, the weight being movable into a deflected position in which it interacts with a stop on the shell in order to block the locking lever. As a result, however, the already complicated latching mechanism becomes even more complex.
The invention provides a receptacle assembly that uses very simple means to prevent unlatching of the case under the influence of inertial forces. Specifically, the inventive assembly includes a housing shell, a case that is pivotally mounted in the shell to be movable between an open position and a closed position, a spring biasing the case to the open position and a latching mechanism for latching the case in the closed position. The latching mechanism releases the case from the closed position under the action of a push onto the case against the force of the spring moving the case to a pushed position. The assembly further includes a blocking device with a blocking body that is spring biased to a normal rest position and movable under inertial forces to an active blocking position. The blocking body, in the normal rest position, permits free pivotal movement of the case and, in the blocking position, obstructs movement of the case from the closed to the pushed position, thereby preventing the case from being unlatched and accidentally pivoting to the open position.
In the preferred embodiment, the blocking device includes an engagement member attached to one of the case and the housing shell, the blocking body being movably mounted on the other of said case and housing shell. The blocking body has a notch and the engagement member has a projection. The projection fits into the notch when the blocking member is in the normal rest position and the case is in the pushed position, but the projection on the notch of the engagement member abuts the blocking body when the blocking body is in the active blocking position and the case moves from the closed position towards the pushed position. In this embodiment, the blocking device is reduced to just a few components that are easily produced by injection molding of plastics.